Re:Connect
by Fantastically-Chaotic
Summary: It is hard to fill a cup which is already full, but trust us, our cups are quite empty. Just ask Dr. Augustine. JakeXNeytiri  slight love triangle , Tsu'TeyXOC. Rating may change later. Flames are welcomed as long as they have justifiable evidence.
1. Prologue

**Hola~ Guess who isn't dead! This prologue is just background info about herself and her life on Earth through the her, the main character's, eyes...hopefully she won't make you wanna shoot yourself and whatnot.**

** I really don't know what else to say, except that I obviously don't own Avatar. That belongs to James Cameron...who I believe patented it so it's pretty legit.**

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><p>I had always hated Earth. It was a downright vile planet, now. My father had occasionally prattled on about the early 2000, the green movement, the desire for global unity, the fear of atomic weaponry, fear of climate change…all of which had long since died out. No one mentioned these things too often nowadays. They were much too concerned over their own devices to care about the dying Earth around them. Climate change? Too little too late. The green movement was nothing but a joke, used by the ironic hipsters that infest local coffee shops to point at their 'bohemian' style of dress…though occasionally maybe the thought of bohemianism existing today is ironic in itself…hm.<p>

I had always been a quiet child. My parents were old-fashioned….in the sense that they ignored and went against every 'cutting-edge' piece of technology that came out. I preferred this life, never once do I remember coveting the brand new music players my friends had, the outdated record players that required a dainty and delicate touch were just as delightful to listen to. I didn't enjoy the bombardment of ads, lights, and people outside. I stayed in the slightly cluttered, outdated confines of my home full of dusty artifacts that used to fill the museums. I was brought up to be a very careful child, who handled giant texts from of Homer, Aristotle, of Confucianism, of Jefferson, of Legalism, of Communism, of Socialism, the works of Dr. Augustine, of Pandora, and the occasional daily newspaper with noted vigilance and interest. If you could not tell, my parents are archaeologists; my home was effectively a treasure trove or perhaps the phrase 'time capsule' was more appropriate.

My childhood friend whom I spent the majority of my 'social-life' with, called me an old lady…or some version of that, because of my odd lifestyle. It never bothered me all too much as I knew it was merely his way of showing affection. He played guitar and went on to become some sort of new-age rockstar, while I took to the violin, running a bow over carefully tuned strings like an amateur. While he preferred to mix 'fresh beats' with a synthesizer, I preferred to knit – which may have been the catalyst for my nickname – scarves, mittens, and the occasional bracelet. I remember one frigid winter he came unreasonably close to contracting a case of frostbite on his precious fingers, and so then I first picked up the needles and clumsily made him a pair of mittens. He mistook them for socks until I frustratingly berated him for such an error. My knitting has, of course, improved since then…I only wish my proficiency with the violin had also sprout forth from the immature seed of mediocrity. Well, I suppose I also wish that we had stayed in touch…I had developed a liking for his music after all.

Were you expecting a sob story? Were you expecting my parents to have hated me? To have abused me? To have died? Were you assuming that I had grown up on the streets? That I had lost my one true love and that I was a loose cannon cop with nothing to lose? …Alright, perhaps that last insincere remark was a reference to a film stereotype of the late 20th century, but I'm sure you've already gotten the gist of my early home life. It was entirely normal. I still have a strong bond with my parents; they…speak my language so to speak. The only thing we ever disagreed about was my decision to join the army instead of becoming a scientist, and even that passed after a few arguments. Once they realized I was serious and I was determined….well, they stitched their mouths shut. Why did I join the army? Why did _I_, an intellectual with no obvious physical prowess join the army? Well. With the state of the world at the time, it seemed necessary. Young people in any time period believe their main purpose to be to better the world in whatever way they think best, right? Still, it was foolish to think America's wars would fix anything. Peace was beyond Earth at the moment.

Countries no longer care about others; it is now a race to gather the most resources…to simply survive the longest before succumbing to the strangulation of the ghost of mother Earth. America has always had its own hand in the foreign affairs of others, and so, it had respectively spread itself too thin, attempting to fight a war on countless fronts, against countless enemies. Everything was scarce – from weapons to medical supplies…I blamed the shortages for the physical losses I had sustained in the war. Without a leg, arm, and eye I was useless to the military. They sent me back home to my parent's. I didn't want to be taken care of for the rest of my life. I didn't want to be stuck here… losing my own mobility made me realize how much I hated it here on my own home planet. It was disgusting. Having to watch the vile smog float about, shrouding the vile behavior and 'devil-may-care' attitude of the human race. I wanted out. A lot of people did. It was anything but avant-garde.

Limb replacement? That never took off. Much too costly. If you were an amputee in this day and age, you were dead and bloody in shark-infested waters. I couldn't compete for a spot in the Avatar program without a full set of limbs and vision receptors. A kind nurse took pity, the only positive human emotion, and pointed me in the direction of the, as I refer to him, The Good Doctor. He couldn't do anything about the eye, but the metal limbs work fine. The whole ordeal was rather painful, he had to reopen the old wound and connect every last nerve into the mechanical limb….but I postulate that it was simply a means to an end. Just a means to get me off this awful planet and to that fresh, new world you grew up hearing about.

I wasn't trained to be a scientist, perhaps I had the minimum knowledge to be an archaeologist, but none of the training – my parents kept me out of the field. I signed on for reconnaissance and or exploration – most likely I would be tasked with retrieving samples. I didn't care where they put me, who they put me with, or how, all I wanted was the new body. The new start. To be able to forget this broken, decrepit body. If only I could leave it on earth in order to effectively forget it. I suppose you have to wake up from every dream eventually. That's what Jake always said, and perhaps he possesses the mind of the average commoner of 2154, but I believe it's a very apt statement.

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><p><strong>Hope it wasn't too boring. :3<strong>


	2. Welcome to Hell's Gate

**I hate how it always looks longer in word. Oh well. Anyway, this chapter is a little boring….but beginnings are usually slow and boring and junk SO…yeah. Uhm. Moving on. **

**I don't own Avatar, James Cameron does. Duh. Where have you been? :P**

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><p>I had a terrifying flashback to my tour in Thailand upon rousing in cryo. What a pleasant recollection to begin the day with. I attempted to shroud my fear with annoyance. This tiny coffin was a little exaggerated and more importantly, I needed to vomit. I close my eye, take a deep breath, and feel the small drawer I was currently trapped in begin to roll out, releasing me from my small confinement. I let out a sigh of relief, yet that sickly nauseous sensation remains. My eye opens to take in the multi-tiered cryo vault, everyone seemed to be coming too. Thank you, time-released drugs.<p>

A medic pulls himself through the zero-G and over to me, looming above my restrained body. "How're you doing, beautiful?" Oh…what a word to describe the deformed ex-cripple. Thank you for being so kind, Medic # 14.

"Yes, I'm fine." Just get me out of this harness. I get to it myself; he's already gone off to another customer. Having undone my shackles, I begin to float up; I push off toward where my locker should alphabetically be and proceed to empty whatever was present in my digestive track into the sack provided. The medical staff thanked me in advance, I'm sure. I presume I'm supposed to change into my uniform once my body gets comfortable with the fact that it hasn't been working in the last five years, nine months, and twenty-two days. That's a long-time, even for me. It technically makes me nearly thirty…spooky.

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><p>I wish the ISV had windows. They just cram us like sardine into the seats, strap us in, and take off. The more romantic souls onboard become antsy, eager to take in the paradise that is Pandora. I keep my eyes on the door, that's the first peek I'll ever get of the planet. I feel each burst from the thrusters as we jostle around in our seats, knocked around by the force on the ship. I'm sandwiched between two muscled-skinheads. I must make them look giant.<p>

The short ride is uneventful, just some higher-ups bellowing about the importance of having your exo-packs on. I push my glasses up before pushing the device to my face and turning it on. My eye darts around expectedly, feeling the ship slow and touch sweet, sweet eart…erm, land. The door goes down. Soldiers get up. We get directed out. I'm still smack in-between the two meaty, skinheads, but that's not what's bothering me. I can't see beyond the fences, there's all this metal obscuring my view. I get herded into the main building, like a common sheep.

We're led like blind men into the cafeteria, where the head honcho tries to give us the usual safety brief. I linger toward the edges, happy to get away from those two meatheads. Everyone files in, unthinking and unassuming. They're quietly chattering away. I'm still sick to my stomach. As if on cue, a pair of boots hitting metal flooring quiets everyone down. Our heads swivel to take in the sight of the battle-scarred man coming down the middle row.

"You are not in Kansas any more... You are on Pandora," His southern drawl mispronounces Pandora as 'Pandara'. It's a simple thing, but it still annoys me greatly. "Ladies and gentlemen. Respect that fact every second of every day. Out beyond that fence every living thing that crawls, flies or squats in the mud wants to kill you and eat your eyes for jujubes," the room goes silent. I must give credit to this man's skills of terrorization. "We have an indigenous population of humanoids here called the Na'vi. They're fond of arrows dipped in a neurotoxin which can stop your heart in one minute. We operate – we live – at a constant threat condition yellow." Sounds superb. "As head of security, it's my job to keep you alive. I will not succeed," he pauses. Everyone's hanging on his every word. "Not with all of you. If you wish to survive, you need a strong mental attitude, you need to follow procedure..."

Everyone files out of the meeting. I hear a voice that's familiar and a devious smirk rises to my lips. This will be fun. Norm Spellman…my old frenemy, we meet again on this battlefield of wit and intellect. How will our exploits play out? Who will be the victor this time? I hope you remember our old scores.

"Hey, you're Jake right? Tom's brother? You look just like him." Norm adjusts the heavy duffel on his back.

Jake offers only a tired look. He's had enough of this. Norm offers Jake a hand. "Sorry, I'm Norm Spellman, I went through avatar training with him. He was a great guy - funny. It was a big shock to all of us.

Jake just keeps rolling along. "Yeah."

Norm naturally follows. "And duh! - obviously you look like him. I mean, if you weren't genetically identical, you wouldn't be taking over his avatar."

"Norm I believe you've broken a new record." I fall into step with Jake's rhythmic pushing. "I've never witnessed anyone with their foot so far down their throat."

Norm and I don't exactly play nicely with each other. I can see his skin crawl at my appearance. I smile at this. I officially have the upperhand in our mental bouts. "Shut it, Jones."

I smirk at Norm and then look at Jake. He does look just like his brother….then again they were twins. I offer him my hand, metal meeting foreign skin once more. "Molly Jones."

"Jake Sully." And it's as simple as that. He looks between Norm and I. "How do you two know each other?"

Norm answers. "We all went through Avatar training together."

Jake nods slowly. There isn't much left for him to say, I suppose he isn't the loquacious type.

Norm jerked his thumb toward the Bio-Lab. "You wanna go check them out?"

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><p>The invitation probably did not extend to me personally, but I tag along anyway, looming next to Jake's side quietly. Norm leads us into the Bio-lab, in front of us there are three colossal containers. Inside, floating in the gentle blue water, is a cyan-colored creature peacefully sleeping, awaiting its designated driver. Norm's is closest to the door. He stops to stare, while Jake is drawn to the second tank.<p>

I greet Max with a solemn nod, he greets me the same way. Jake's transfixed on what looks to be his spitting image…if he were 9 feet tall and blue. "Damn, they got big."

"They mature on the trip out." Norm turns to Max, I cross over and take a peek at Jake's avatar. It was just as handsome as he was.

"It looks like him." Jake says silently.

I poke his cheek. He jerks his head up and his eyes take in my stoic expression. "I believe it bears more of a resemblance to you."

"It's your avatar now, Jake." Norm says smiling gently. Jake nodded once slowly and turned back to the tank.

I squeeze his shoulder as I pass by and duck into the last row between tanks. Between Jake's tank and mine. I swallow hard. She's just floating there in the tank, as if she had been tucked into a deep slumber and had not yet awoken. No metal. No burns. Perfection. Functionality. She's all bare epidurmus – cyan and dark blue. Untouched by what I knew back on Earth. I wanted her to stay untouched like that… This was everything I could have asked for. She's small like me, but her muscle tone suggested a fearsome kick to the groin if it was ever needed. I pull off my glasses and wipe away brewing tears.

"Don't start crying now, Molly."

Without bothering to put my glasses back on, so the blacked out left lens could hide my missing and burned eye, I turn to Norm. His eyes are instantly drawn to where my left eye should have been and he….perhaps cringed at the sight of the discolored skin lacking any sort of eye socket. I put my glasses back on and turn away, ever so sensitive about my apparent deformities. "Shut your mouth."

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><p>The resemblance between Jake and his brother are becoming less obvious. Tom had been much more…friendly and outgoing, Jake was much more reserved and quiet…perhaps even dutiful. I watch him from over a book I'm skimming, giving his first video log.<p>

"…so their nervous systems are in tune. Or something. Which is why they offered me this gig, because I can link with Tommy's avatar, which was insanely expensive." Jake turns towards Norm. "Is this right? I just say whatever in these videologs?"

Norm and Max look up from their work. "Yeah. You just need to get in the habit of documenting everything - what you see, what you feel - it's all part of the science. Good science starts with good observation."

I lick my thumb and turn the page delicately. "Good documentation is imperative."

"Then why aren't you documenting anything?"

"I would hate to be talking over you." I smirk lightly and go back to my book.

Jake sighs. "Right," he turns back to the camera. "So, whatever. Here I am. Doing science. Never been in a lab before."

Neither have I. Well. Maybe AP Bio in high school, but I doubt a public school's science classroom is much of a lab. Actually there really is no similarity, strike it from the record. Max checks the time and rises from his seat.

"Log off, it's time to meet your boss for the next five years."

My heart rate quickens. I think Norm's does too. The copy of her book that I had read as a late teen had first sparked the idea of joining the Avatar program. It did not take the form of a mighty flame until much later in my life, most likely fueled by my own shortcomings. Still. The woman was a wonder. A dedicated, profoundly intelligent wonder. Coming to Pandora, I had no idea that I would be able to work so closely with her…well, perhaps not as closely as Jake or Norm would be…but still.

Max leads us down a short corridor and into the link room. Norm begins to babble to Jake and me, just as excited as I was. "Grace Augustine is a legend. She's the head of the Avatar Program, and she wrote the book - I mean literally wrote the book - on Pandoran botany."

"That's because she likes plants better than people." Max mutters. I chuckle softly.

A link bed pulls out like a desk drawer and opens, revealing an older woman with a forceful yet intelligent air to her. "Who's got my goddamn cigarette?" I see an aide scurry about. Augustine, or who I assume to be Augustine – to be confirmed later – continues. "What's wrong with this picture?" She waves her hand, aggravated, until an aide hands over the requested roll of nicotine.

Max leads our party of three toward her. "And here she is, Cinderella back from the ball. Grace, I'd like you to meet Norm Spellman, Ja –" Cut off.

"Norm. I hear good things about you. How's your Na'vi?" She turns her attention to Norm and I try and restrain my jealousy.

He replies in Na'vi. "_May the All Mother smile upon our first meeting._"

"_Not bad, you sound a little formal._"

I know better than to speak, even though I want to gain the upper hand over Norm again. The ball's in his court and I can't stand it.

"_There is still much to learn."_

Max tries to introduce us once more. "Uh, Grace, this is Ja – " Cut off. Again.

"Yeah, yeah, I know who you are, and I don't need you. I need your brother," She turns to Max, "You know - the PhD who trained three years for this mission."

"He's dead. I know it's a big inconvenience for everyone." The situation is now overwhelmingly uncomfortable.

Grace tries to repair the situation. "How much lab training have you had? Ever run a gas chromatograph?"

"No."

"Any actual lab work at all?"

"I dissected a frog once."

She looks like she may strangle someone. Dr. Augustine turns to me, teeth grinding together out of sheer dissatisfaction. "Who the hell are you?"

"Molly Jones – I've been assigned the task of assisting you with sample retrieval."

"When you're not being Qauritch's bitch that is."

"Precisely."

"You see? You see? They're pissing on us without even the courtesy of calling it rain." She's out the door in the next two seconds. So much for starting off on the right foot.

Max turns to Jake. "Here, tomorrow, oh eight hundred. Try to use big words."

I can see why he wouldn't give me that advice.

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><p><strong>Hope it wasn't too terribleboring/painful to read. And I hope Molly is somewhat loveable...ehhhh. She's kinda bitter and cynic, so I'm not going to get my hopes up here. Reviews are appreciated~ ;D**


	3. Descend

**Guuuuuuuys! I don't know what to say! I'm so flattered and surprised! Mostly cuz I was looking for reviews in the wrong sections and for a while I thought nobody had said anything….that's a big reason why I'm so surprised….BUT STILL! I want to thank everyone who reviewed! I'm gonna respond to a few of them before I get to the good stuff!**

**SangoLadyWolf WesternLands – I don't have my notes in front of me, but I think she's only technically Qauritch's bitch…cuz she's working for both Augustine as a sample-retriever and then she also works for SecOps…which Qaurty's in charge of or at least sorta in charge of…I think. Something along those lines lol.**

**offender1992 – That's coming up soon, I mean, this story's going to follow the events of the movie, but there will be a few chapters or short sections of just random non-canon stuff sprinkled about. **

**claycarole – Tsu'Tey was boss…and pretty good-looking for a blue guy, lol. BUT AHHH! I wanna give you a cookie! I'm so glad that someone can identify with her, at first I thought people were just going to think she was rather plain chick with a funny/bitchy inner monologue, but to have someone click with her makes me wanna squeal! *cough* I wanted to have Jake and Molly to be close, but I didn't want to get all over-descriptive and I guess at the time I couldn't think of a way to get them away from the others to talk…it would have been kinda superfluous. Ahhh, I'm rambling. I'm excited, sorry xDDD**

**Random the Na'vi – I'm just naturally self-conscious ;A; it's a part of my 'awkward turtle' lifestyle, but thank you, I think I'm gonna pick up the movie at Best Buy or whatever so I can get a feel for all the characters instead of just using the wiki mostly. **

**Okay. Let's get down to business!**

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><p>I had pilfered one of Dr. Augustine's books from the lab. If I was to prove myself as tolerable to my employer, I should begin with strengthening my repertoire of flora factoids. Just barely had I managed to slink out on the very tips of my toes without alerting Max or the other lab techs. Usually they were a hawkeyed bunch with strict book-lending policy, or…so I've heard. My stay on Pandora has yet to reach a full day, after all, what do I know about the habits of departments on this base?<p>

I don't get to read it. I'm called out to go scouting with a few other meatheads. Make haste and find me a pitcher for the rainbow-hued vomit I am about to retch due to my indescribable level of pure, indescribable glee. I tuck the book under my mattress and leave the barracks. Grab the Kevlar, pack your bag, and for god's sake put on that exo-pack. God dammit Jones, don't forget your gun! Yes sir, of course sir. Of course…that doesn't actually happen…I'm simply mocking my higher ups…alright, perhaps that wasn't as amusing as I thought it was….I'll be more serious for now.

I sigh and take a seat in the Samson. A few more soldiers line the rest of the seats and our fearless leader jumps in and takes the last seat. He gives us what he calls 'the skinny'. We're to be dropped into an area just north of Blue Lagoon to gather intel. I strap myself in and the chopper starts up, the metal blades begin to spin until they become nearly invisible. The Samson hovers up and the pilot diligently guides us up and over the base's fences, high into Pandora's sky. I gain a love of window seats, on Earth there isn't anything of particular interest outside the average car window. No, there only exists smog and a myriad of irate and gloomy people. To be looking down on dense, foreign jungles I've only read about, colorful avian species squawking around the Samson, and a few sturmbeests running about – wild and free…. it is nothing short of the best dream I've ever imagined. The sea's just as blue as the paint embodying it in old paintings. The sun's low, but twilight has yet to lay its blanket across the sky. There are no forests on Earth, as one could easily deduce, everything has been paved over – forgotten to all without a leather binding.

Blue Lagoon is not as equally magnificent as the unique world around it. In fact, I thought it was more of a blemish to the surrounding beauty of the planet. I'm glad we simply flew right over it. Another paved and fenced-in string of structures. I feel a pit begin to form in the dead center of my stomach. There was no intention of bettering Earth. The intention was to relocate to Pandora. If that is not the true motive for becoming congenial with the indigenous…then it will soon become just that. I swallow the lump in my throat and look down. This wasn't ideal to me. I thought by coming here I would be freed from the vile contaminants that had infested my home planet, but it would only seem they followed the bread crumb trail all the way to this paradise.

The Samson descends, the awkward propellers adjusting desperately to maintain a 'steady' descent. The body shakes slightly upon reaching solid ground and we all file out, falling into line as we're thrown out into the fang-lined jaws of Pandora's jungles. It's rather uneventful; we're mostly adding to the maps and making observations about the landscape to be interpreted by the scientists back at Hell's Gates. The captain and I are making updates to the map when we hear one simple gun shot. I whirl around and bolt toward it, the captain – a larger and thus, slightly slower man – follows suit. I burst through the bushes, expecting the rest of the men to be brawling with a Thanator or a Na'vi Warrior, but of course I'm wrong since the soldiers I'm stuck with have little to no decorum. Have you ever seen a Tapirus? The pictures in books don't do it justice. They are actually much more pathetic in person.

"C'mon, let's get some dinner guys!" Moronic Soldier #1 takes aim. I bound toward him and force my fist into his chin as my other hand yanks the barrel of the gun up toward the canopy in case he fires. He doesn't, the impact knocked his hand off as he fell. The Tapirus lets out a sequence of shrill cries. "Jones, what the fuck?"

"Do killing innocent creatures bring you some sort of pleasure, Wainfleet?"

"Don't be such a goddamn treehugger – it's just a dumb pig."

I open my mouth to point out that the Tapirus makes two pigs to be in this area at this exact moment, but the Captain comes between me and Wainfleet. "That's _enough_ – Wainfleet, Fike, Johnson, back to the Samson, the mission's been compromised." He points at the screaming Tapirus as it fumbles around the clearing. "The thing's gonna attract all sorts of predators."

As the three baboons start the trek back to the Samson, I drop my gun and make my way over to the poor creature; luckily it was only shot once…it'd probably live as long as someone got it out. Of course there was always the chance of infection….oh let's just get the bullet out first, shall we? I cradle the creature as best I can, naturally it struggles against me, I grit my teeth. And pin it down with my mechanical limb, and force my finger into the wound, clawing out the wound as gently as I could. I toss the bullet away and, without bothering to wipe off my bloody fingers, I tear off my sleeve.

"Clean the wound first." That's when I realize the captain's been next to me this whole time, meddling with the first aid kit. He hands me the anti-bacterial spray. We work fast, cleaning out the wound before dressing it – rather crudely, I might add…none of us were medical experts per se – and nudge the creature off into the wilderness. We don't spend much time dwaddling, knowing that a hungry Thanator could be on its way. He and I book it through the bush; I nearly trip over a tree branch…..twice. The baboons are already in the Samson by the time we burst through the bush, wasting no time in pausing to bask in the glory of our way to safety, we snatch the two remaining seats.

Wainfleet shoots me a dirty look. I give him an aggravated frown in return. The captain picks his gun up and clicks the safety on. "That thing's probably gonna get eaten anyway."

"I would prefer not to force my way into the food chain of this planet." I crane my neck to watch the jungle canopy rolling below us before Blue Lagoon unfurls and soon regresses back to Jungle. The three men across from me still seem a little peeved. How positively droll.

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><p>"How was the scouting mission?" Jake prods the spine of the botany book I had stolen…erm…borrowed that day before.<p>

"It only served to reinforce my seething abhorrence for the incompetent."

"So…bad?"

"Yes."

"Wainfleet didn't shut up about it last night." Norm shoveled in a forkful of scrambled eggs.

"The man is a baboon."

"He looks like one."

"Finally, something we agree on."

It takes ten seconds to instigate yet another 'debate' between Norm and myself. Jake is more than amused to see how red Norm becomes when he's angry, even if he has no idea who we were talking about.

"If they didn't have enough sense to know that lead was harmful, then how could they possibly be superior to the Greeks?"

"The Greeks didn't have a working water system that could supply to half the number of people than the Roman's system did!"

"Yet I'm confident that the Greeks would have realized that lead is anything but benign to the body through their grand strides in the field of science."

"How? They wouldn't even cut anyone open!"

"They did eventually."

"Whe -"

"As fun as it is listening to you two fight," Norm and I turn to Jake, "It's almost 0800."

So it was.

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><p>"Don't cry this time, Molly." Norm says to me with a grating, cheeky tone. I grunt uncharacteristically and take a peek at my avatar through the pressure window. Med techs are tending to the three cyan-colored creatures on gurneys just on the other side. Jake rolls up next to me and takes a glance. A med tech looks up, sees us, and smiles warmly. I awkwardly wave back at her.<p>

"How much link time have you logged?" Jake and I turn to face Grace. God, she's scary….

"Five hundred and twenty hours." Norm states.

"One hundred and twelve…" I say.

Grace looks at Jake. He shrugs. "Like…an hour."

"Tell me you're joking."

The air is becoming tense, yet again. Grace sighs and gives Max a look, conveying her annoyance with a certain Marine. We scatter and go to our designated link units. Mine is right next to Jake's, I smile gently. Determination and self-reliance is appealing in a man…

"Kiss the darkest part of my lily white – " is the last thing I hear before I shut my link bed's hood. I close my eyes and the color spectrum whirls past the backs of my eyelids.

The next thing I see are two blurry figures looming over me. The med techs. Their faces become clearer but their echoing vocations of my name are still very far off. A flashlight shines into my eye; they say the reflex is responding adequately. The first tech snaps twice in both my ears, which twitch back accordingly. Another response which is deemed normal by the two above me.

"How are you feeling, Molly?" At least their voices aren't echoing as of this moment…

"Peachy." My mind goes back to the first moment of consciousness in cryo…and how awful I felt. In this body; however, I felt nothing short of wonderful. I look down, over my new body. No metal. No scars. Full vision. Wonderful is now an understatement, as is ecstasy or exuberant.

"Any numbness?"

I sit up, the two look shaky. I must have skipped a good three steps in their plan to evaluate my health. I wiggle my twos, flex my fingers, look over to Norm and Jake – grinning because I can feel each movement, not simply trust that it is occurring.

Jake, much like myself, is nearly as beside himself. He's staring at his legs, feeling the sensations of the cold gurney under him as well as his own set of wiggling toes. I catch his eye. We grin at each other, both knowing exactly how the other is feeling. Neither of us feels like waiting through this grueling health check. Jake gets up. I watch the doctors throw themselves into a panic. Jake shakily steps back and forth, getting a feel for his new body. His doctors move to sedate him. He realizes he has a tail...and so do I.

"They're gonna put you out." Norm shrugs.

Jake awkwardly pushes his way to the door. I yank out the wires connected to me and follow – just as awkwardly. "I'll go retrieve him…" Lie.

Of course the techs take issue with this. But, the problem is….I really do not care. I have a set of proper, working, feelings limbs and I'm not about to waste any of my time in a sterile room. I touch Jake's shoulder lightly, stepping outside a beat after him. We look at each other, but can barely see one another in this harsh sun. My eyes squint for a moment, getting used to the light. Our ears swivel back, detecting our pursuers' footsteps. We take off, not caring we could merely, at best, lope gracelessly in these bodies or, the ever more blatantly obvious fact that we were currently dressed in an article of clothing that neglected to cover our rear ends. This is the first time I've seen grass, the first time I can see jungle past barbed-wire fences. The first view of Pandora had been a metal tomb which was dismal, at best.

Jake and I are halfway through the obstacle course when we finally get a feel for running properly. We pull away from Norm, who's lacking in athleticism and advanced motor skills. I speed past Jake, laughing like an easily amused toddler [though I believe one would find that most toddlers are easily engrossed]. I look over my shoulder at Jake as he is nearly run over by an amp suit. A laugh rudely pushes past my lips and I'm forced to slow down a little, Jake pushes me playfully as he passes. Not thinking professionally, I tackle him. We tumble through dirt and various alien plants. Oddly, both of us are still laughing. We realize now that we're tired and breathless from all the running. Whether my erratic heartbeat is from the running or the fact that Jake is on top of me, thinly separated by two hospital gowns, I don't know. Our eyes meet and another fit of laughter comes upon us. Jake rolls off of me and gets up. I follow suit.

Jake breathes in the Pandoran air, looks down at his feet. I touch my ears, this body comes with so many quirks.

"Hey Jarheads!" Ears swivel first, closely followed by heads. It's….Augustine? She looks so young…maybe not even a year past thirty.

"Grace?" Jake squints in disbelief.

"Well, who'd ya expect numb nuts?" Jake and I look at each other. Who indeed? "Think fast!" We turn and instinctively catch the two pieces of fruit thrown to us.

Jake and I bite into our pieces. It's a completely new flavor….I can't quite place it…it's sweet and yet tart with a…slightly bitter aftertaste? I really don't know. I lick blue goo from my lips and smile softly, chuckling. Grace looks between Jake and me almost approvingly.

* * *

><p>"Are you sufficiently prepared, Jake?"<p>

"Bring it, Jones."

"As you wish."

I take off, perhaps Jake considers it cheating for one to begin a race without saying the proper intro of 'ready, set, go'. Oh well. What's done is done. I smirk and jump over a hurdle, Jake catches up to me.

"Hey, that's cheating!"

"Most likely."

The wall is next, bouts of pure strength aren't quite my forte - speed and skill are, but climbing is just up Jake's alley. He pulls ahead of me I try to gain some ground on him on the monkey bars and tire steps. My tail deceives me, I continue to forget I have one…and then become 'spooked' when I discover it. I trip, fall, and roll onto my back.

"That's what you get for cheating, Jones." He's taunting me.

I calmly reach over and yank on his ankle, causing Jake to fall as well. I smile smugly to myself.

* * *

><p>"Don't play with that, you'll go blind." Grace passes by Jake's bed. I settle into my bunk, peeking over. The marine is inspecting the end of his braid…which…in my opinion, is very, very odd. I had looked at it earlier, while waiting for Jake to finishing changing into his clothes. I had been very hesitant to touch it…it looked so delicate, but also very desperate for something as well.<p>

"Lights out, gang." Grace turns off all the lights and shoos away the humans out of the cabin. I rest my head against the pillow and shut my eyes, my ears swiveling to address the fair off cries of Pandoran wildlife. "See you at dinner." The color spectrum whirls on by again.

Back to lifeless metal, a broken body which I had never wanted to abandon more. I open the link bed, climb out, and trudge toward the cafeteria, barely catching the order Grace was barking at me. Something about 0900 tomorrow…

* * *

><p><strong>Okay...so this is really short. Ugh, and not much happens so I'm sorry. Next chapter will have Tsu'tey in it, I promise! So, as ash566 put it, Tsu'Tey's gonna have to whip Ms. Bitter into shape!<strong>

**I feel like all the rabid JakeXNeytiri fans are about to descend on me...BUT I WARNED YOU BRO. I WARNED YOU ABOUT THOSE LOVE TRIANGLES. XD**


	4. Lions, Tigers, and oh god what is that

**Oh right. I write fanfiction.**

**It's my habit as an author to get lazy and neglect my readers so….sorry. Yikes. I'm an asshole. But, I'm happy to say that I've gone and attempted to give Molly just a little more individuality so she can carve herself her own little niche, as it has began to irk me that she may be too similar to the two characters whom inspired her. I know, I broke one of the most important fanfiction commandments XD**

**If anyone can name these characters - two girls from the same series - I will give you a freebie. Whatever you want - a oneshot, a bad drawing [and it will be bad.], you name it and I'll do my best to have it finished promptly. :3**

**Avatar belongs to James Cameron, who is regrettably not me. :P**

* * *

><p>I saw him today. No, not Jake if that's what your mind instantly grabbed at like an insistent child, laying my eyes upon Jake would not leave me visibly paled and clammy…well…not in….how do you people put it? The 'scared-shitless-sense'? Plainly speaking, I saw the man who took everything from me. Took my arm. My leg. My eye. The things that allow a human being to feel complete, to feel resolutely one with their society. To think he could be so close to me once again leaves me reeling. Did the RDA not run background checks on their personnel? What do I do? What is there to do? Turn around and call him out as a murderer in front of the entire cafeteria? I do not have the courage to do that. Who would believe me? The only thing I want is to be far away from him, for once I stick closely to Norm's side and keep my eyes trained on the grey mush this cafeteria deems fit for consumption. I can feel anger and wrath bubbling up from within, yet my sense of logic has remained gloriously intact. I know how a battle with him would play out, and humans are wired to self-preserve. Call me a coward if you wish. That is what I am.<p>

I can remember all the memories of Bangkok and Thailand bubble up to the surface of my mind, making all my previous attempts to shove it down with your average housewife's toilet plunger, only to have it overflow and stain the cold tile floor with…well. I'm sure I do not have to go further into that clever metaphor, lets just keep it as 'I hate remembering Thailand, I try my best not to think about it'. Norm sits, I sit across from him, mouth stitched shut. I'm suddenly not hungry anymore, I poke the eggs on my plate with a fork. Fire from countless automatics rings in my ears like a symphony from my own worst nightmare. Eating is the last thing on my mind.

"What's eating at you, robo-butt?" Trudy's sitting next to Norm. If I were under normal circumstances, I would have noticed the obvious signs of budding affections between Norm and Trudy, but well….

"Nothing. I'm not as hungry as I thought I was." I nearly fall upon rising to my feet. My grace would leave the daintiest ballerina in awe, I'm sure. "I'll convene with you both later on this morning." I pick up my tray and leave, a familiar man in a wheelchair begins to greet me.

"Hey Molly-" I pass by him, oblivious to his acknowledge meant due to my mental state of emergency. Sights of blood, carnage, and surgical saws were what was at the forefront of my mind at the moment, not certain men I would very much like to-

The end of that sentence was not going to be for the lecherous. I swear. I only wished to take a pause from that inner musing to inform you of that so you stay on track, at my side as I guide you through this tale. The end of that sentence, if you were wondering, would have been cuddling. Now then.

Jake's head whips to the side to watch me from over his shoulder as Molly scurries away. He pulls up to the table, slowly turning his head to look at Trudy and Norm. "What's wrong with her?"

Norm shrugged. "Probably had the fish last night at dinner." Trudy punched his shoulder.

"She looked more like she had seen a ghost." Jake looked between Trudy, a woman he didn't know but he assumed she was Norm's friend, and Norm, someone he assumed knew Molly much better than he did. Needless to say, he was attempting to drag an answer mostly out of Norm.

"Look, Jake, I really don't know."

"I'm gonna go ask her."

"That'll have to wait." Trudy stops Jake from pulling out from the table and wheeling after Molly. "The colonel wants to see you."

* * *

><p>I never thought I'd be so happy to see my bunk. I've yet to unpack, but there's a plethora of string and yarn of various thickness and colors strewn all over my bunk - oh and of course the book I stole from the tech lab. I gather it up, knowing it will be an arduous task to untangle it later, and place it on my bag before falling into my little safe haven, away from any war-memory-triggers.<p>

As I clean the lens of my glasses, I notice a few blurry figures approaching out of the corner my eye. Hastily, I put my glasses back on and turn my head to take in the image of Grace, Norm, and Jack coming down the hall. Grace is in mid-sentence and has barely taken notice of me, waiting for the three of them in front of the Link Room.

"…you're driving an avatar, now. That means you're in my world, got it?" The look she gives him piques my interest. It's suspicion…Time to meddle in the affairs of others.

"Got it." Jake rolls on after her. The older woman speeds past me and I follow in after Jake and Norm.

"What's going on?" I look at Grace, expecting a curt answer.

"Just walk."

This woman is a steel trap isn't she?

"Then how is this supposed to work?" Jake slows to a stop.

"We have a new face." She turns to Norm, "You're fluent, you've studied the culture. You're non-threatening. The ones we know best - the Omaticaya clan - may give you a chance. Maybe you can get them back to the table before things go tits-up for good."

"This is failing as a pep talk." Norm's beginning to go pale. I smirk. I love seeing Norm squirm.

"You sound frightened Norm, have you gone through a peculiar metamorphosis and become a little girl who is in dire need of a fresh pair of clean undergarments?"

I'm stealing Norm's thunder, Norm hates it when I steal his thunder. "I don't see you getting important missions, Jones."

Grace stops me from dealing Norm a zing that would be so fearsome, he'd be icing the burns for weeks to come. Lucky Norm. "Enough you too, we don't have the time for your dumbass bickering."

Jake is oddly good at keeping the ball rolling. It's almost like it's planned by some greater force. "How do we contact them?" The paraplegic hauls himself into the link. I make haste for my own link.

"We don't," Grace says bluntly. "They contact us. If they see us taking our samples, treating the forest with respect…" She begins to target Jake and I, "Not trampling everything in sight - they may reach out to us."

"Or they may skin us and make a drum." Jake lies back and lowers the sensor array over his body. I feel like that's something I would say. I lay back as well and lower the sensor array over my chest and begin to pull down the top hatch, just barely overhearing Grace's last words to Jake. "Just keep your mouth shut and let Norm do the talking."

The way she spoke made me feel like the Na'vi were going to be standing there, out in the open, waiting for our arrival. I found this incredulous and foolhardy upon a second thought.

* * *

><p>I have never had the pleasure of laying my eyes on the mountains of Pandora, the last time I was in transit I had kept my eyes glued to the green, leafy blanket that covered the planet's surface. At the time I was not close enough to notice that they float, but to me they were still magnificent sights to behold. Jake is manning the door gun, eyes peeled for anything hurdling toward us with its fangs at the ready. Trudy banks her precious flying machine in order to follow a river, shining the most natural and beautiful shade of blue I have ever laid my eyes on. A herd of sturmbeest charge through it, kicking up water and catching sunbeams with the translucent droplets. Trudy points them out and everyone turns to see - like its some sort of hollywood studio tour.<p>

"Looks like a bull, six cows and some juveniles." Grace watches them trample off into the surrounding forest.

"The bull has the red on the dorsal armor?" Norm asks, gaining an approving nod from the older woman. My eyes narrow at Norm, feeling like we are suddenly siblings, close in age, fighting for our mother's attention….and he's winning and I don't like it.

I get my revenge twice over, lifting my spirits effectively. The first is when a horde of Tetrapterons take flight, spooked by the Samson, and one flies close enough to squawk in Norm's general direction, causing him to jump in his skin. It's a minor jump, but it pleases me all the same. The second is when we are passing over a monstrous waterfall and Trudy banks hard, homing in on the gorge as if she has a target to shoot at. Norm looks like he's going to release his lunch from the shackles of his stomach…so to speak.

"Yo Chacon! Get some!" Oh…yes….Wainfleet is here. We previously exchanged irritated glances….at least he did. I wasn't going to give the man the pleasure of seeing me the least bit affected by his idiotic and destructive antics. I see Jake grin into the airstream, happy one again to be mobile and alive.

The Samson lowers itself into a small meadow created by a ring of large trees. I slide past Jake as he pulls the door gun off the mount in order to take my place near the exit of the meadow. Wainfleet's out for blood again as he scans the treeline for any enemies, typical. I resist the temptation to roll my eye….eyes. Jake seems much more….nervous, like a greenshirt seeing combat for the first time. I frown.

Grace jogs to Trudy's side of the cockpit and motions for her to shut the flying machine off. Trudy complies and the giant roar of the Samson lulls to a quiet whirr. Immediately upon seeing Wainfleet's move to come with our party, Grace motions him back to the Samson. "Stay with the ship, one idiot with a gun's enough."

"Ya'll have fun out there." Wainfleet laughs. Words cannot describe how elated I am to have that hairless ape away from me.

As I am ahead of him, keeping close to Norm and Grace, I do not see the psychological panic that is currently overtaking Jake's mind. He can only see death's cruel jaws awaiting him on the other side of any given bush, instead of a fresh new world - just waiting to be explored. I, on the other hand, was looking at each plant, each stream of sunlight, excitedly observing everything I could about my new, unknown environment.

"Relax marine," I look up and follow Grace's gaze back to Jake, "You're making me nervous." Grace reaches over and puts a hand on Jake's muzzle, lowering it before pushing ahead. My ears flatten against my head, I give Jake the best concerned look my usually aloof and stoic state. He just clears his throat and motions for me to continue down the trail. I frown but comply.

"How will they know we're here?" Norm speaks, breaking the silence suddenly.

"I'm sure they're watching us right now." Grace says casually. I look up into the trees above, my ears slightly flattening against my head. Norm gulps. Jake regresses back into his panicked-state. If they were indeed watching us…they were surely masters of camouflage…perhaps they have to be with the behemoths that must live here.

Floorboards groan underneath my feet as I step through the door and take my first looks at the inside of a small schoolhouse - Grace's schoolhouse, to be exact.

"The kids were so bright, so eager to learn... they picked up English faster than I could teach it to them."

Grace sends me to retrieve a few tools from a storage compartment across the room. She only tells me the names of them, too 'bothered' to show me, a first timer, what they look like. Silently I leave the group to carry out this task, ears turned toward the red haired woman as she spoke.

"Bring the soil probe - right there, yellow case." It was deeply unsettling how much she preferred Norm to myself…and Jake of course. I purposely ignore the 'ruffling' of stingbat wings above my head, not only knowing that the creatures were harmless if left to their own devices but this was another attempt on my part to impress my new boss and gain her favor. Naturally, this went unnoticed. Grace picks up a decaying copy of an iconic Dr. Suess tale from the floor and puts it back on a shelf.

"The stingbats knock them off. I guess I always hope somebody will come back and read them."

"Why don't they come back?" Norm hands her an obscure scientific tool, which she places in her pack.

"The Na'vi learned as much about us as they needed to know."

I look over at Jake as he comes up behind me. He points out the bullet holes. He asks what happened. Grace grabs the equipment out of my hands and jams it into her pack with a biting word and rushes back out, Norm quickly follows.

"What do you think happened?" Jake looks at me.

"Humans being human."

Is it surprising that Grace does not trust me to do anything other than hold the equipment? It reminds me of my pack in Bangkok - bug repellent, pocket knives, a poncho that could have been used as a raincoat, groundsheet, or a tent, several magazines of ammunition, six grenades, an M-16, letters from Damien, letters from my mother, letters from my father…I carried many things, not all of them strictly physical. My back doesn't hurt from the weight, it's something rather trivial now. Jake and I trade bored grimaces as Grace and Norm go on and on with their botanic babble. The day's been long and my patience and desire to learn of Pandoran botany has significantly waned. Jake gestures for me to follow along after him as he scouts up ahead. I follow him closely. He may be blue, but he's still Jake after all.

We make our way over giant tree roots and into a glade full of 'whimsical' [Jake told me to describe it as so, oddly] spiraling flora. I remember the book I had taken from the tech lab, in it there was a picture of this plant - it was called a Helicoradian. Jake brushes against one and it disappears with a comedic 'shtooonk'. He grins at me, I give him a restrained smile in return and reach forward to touch another, resulting in the flower retreating back into the ground with another 'shtooonk'. Jake touches another, the plant disappears. We get excited with our new toys and go about brushing our fingertips on all of the spiraled plants until they're all gone…well until the colony decides that we are a threat, and one by one they retreat into the ground.

That chain reaction spooks a creature the size of an elephant with the headgear of a hammerhead shark. It snorts and unfurls…what looks like some sort of feathered headdress from atop of its head, turning toward us. Jake raises his rifle toward the beast. I don't want to kill the creature…but I have a working self-preservation instinct as well. Grace is in my blind spot when she appears in the glade, I only know she's there when I hear her through the throat mike.

"Don't shoot! You'll piss it off!"

The bellowing hammerhead lowers its head, preparing to charge. I tense. I'm unarmed between a creature who wishes to run me over…and the rest of the deadly Pandoran jungle.

"It's already pissed off!"

"I say we run and take sharp turns along the way - it doesn't look agile." I look up at Jake, hoping he'll lower the gun, nod, and take off with me. He doesn't, Grace stops him from answering me.

"Jake, that armor's too thick. Trust me."

I nearly let out a sigh of relief as Jake begins to retreat. The hammerhead paws at the ground, preparing to charge.

"It's a territorial threat display. Do not run, or he'll charge." Oh.

"What do we do then?" Jake's eyes are darting between the scientist and the hammerhead bellowing in front of us.

"Hold your ground!"

I've never been good with suspense, so I hope that was enough to thrill you. The hammerhead bashes its large head into a small group of saplings, sending their limbs crashing to the ground. Another bellow rings in my ears, louder than any gunshot I've ever heard, lowers its head for the last time and charges.

The next thing I know, Jake is running toward the beast, screaming at the top of his lungs with his arms spread - it was a tactic I'm sure the people of an older time would use against a Grizzly Bear.

The bull stops and lets out a uncharacteristic bleat before retreating back to the rest of the herd. Jake looks back at Grace, Norm, and I, amazed that his instinctive ploy worked. I chuckle and shake my head as Jake begins to smack talk the bull.

"Oh yeah! Who's bad? That's right! That's what I'm talkin' about, bitch!"

The bull wheels around, lets out a frightened shriek and stampedes away through the bush.

"That's right motherf-"

A snarl reaches our ears and we all stop. A chill runs up my spine as I carefully turn to take in the predator that we all would do well to avoid at all costs. The Thanator launches itself across the glade, the ground shaking upon the beast's landing. It lets out an earsplitting roar, clearing miffed over the hammerhead's escape…it then turns to look at Jake and I. The Thanator shows its long, curved, sharp fangs and lets out a long, slow hiss. I could tell this one was another fan of the long…painful death.

"What about this one? Run, don't run? What?"

"Jake, just RUN." I nearly slap him.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay….so I lied - Tsu'Tey will be in the next chapter….and don't worry you'll all love his entry - it's badass and…..yeah. So. Um. Not dead….just incredibly lazy. Yesh. I want to start a new fix….either GI Joe related or Assassin's Creed related….though the GI Joe fandom on here is so nitpicky and tedious…ugh. I cannot. Some people really just need to relax XDDD. Anyway, remember the test I've given you, I think the best hint is in the prologue, but I'll sprinkle a few more if no one gets it. :3<strong>

**Good luck! Please review!**


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